• Skip to main content
Kids Yoga Teacher Certificataion in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and also New Orleans, Nanimo BC and elsewhere.

Young Yoga Masters

Kids Yoga Teacher Training and Certification

  • Home
  • Kids Yoga TT
    • Overview (96 HR)
      • Yoga Lit – 16 HR
      • Lesson Planning 16 HR
      • Mindfulness 16 HR
      • Inclusive – 16 HR
      • Yoga + Mindfulness 8 HR
      • Chakras – 4 HR
      • Family Yoga 4 HR
      • Mastermind: Business Planning and Curriculum Design (16 Hour)
    • Get the Free Guide
    • Meet Your Trainers
    • Login to Training
  • Register
    • Registration Info
    • Register – Final Self-Paced Cohort
    • Register – All Modules and Options
    • Scholarship Application
    • F.A.Q.
    • Transfer, Refund Policy and Waiver
  • Adult Yoga
    • Adults Yoga – Weekly Live Zoom
    • 200 HR Yoga Teacher Certification
    • Yoga Trainer Fast Track for Experienced Yoga Teachers
  • Shop
    • Get a Module of Training
    • Teen Leadership Program
    • Scavenger Hunt
    • Recommended Resources
    • Private Consultations
  • Free Resources
    • Free: Teacher Training
    • Free: Download Activity Pages
    • Free: Essential Starter Guide to Teaching Kids Yoga
    • Free: Guide to Children’s Yoga Training
    • 3 Really Useful Kids Yoga Alphabet Activities
    • 9 Steps to Choose the Best Kids Yoga Teacher Training for You in 2023
    • Kids Yoga Articles
    • The Experienced Yoga Teacher’s Guide to Becoming a Trainer
    • FAQ
  • About
    • About Young Yoga Masters
    • About Aruna
    • Contact Us
    • Links
    • Sitemap
You are here: Home / Archives for printables

printables

How to Explain Chakras to Children?

Chakras for Children

Explain the chakras to children by looking at the Sanskrit word Chakra that is translated as meaning wheel of energy. Comparing chakras to wheels helps children understand how energy is like a wheel, that can flow, go too fast, or get stuck!

Let’s look at the idea of a wheel. Where do you find a wheel? What does a wheel do? Do wheels have energy? What happens when a wheel is stuck or goes too fast? What does wheel of energy mean to you?

Then explore each chakras as a type of energy wheel.

Compare the Chakras to What Kids Already Know

Here’s the type of discussion you might have on the aspects of a wheel.

Let’s name things that have wheels. Youth will name a bicycle, a car, an airplane, a Ferris wheel, a skateboard all these things have wheels.

Let’s look at the example of a car that has wheels. The car can move forward and it can also go in reverse. The car also has a steering wheel and a gas pedal, and other parts to help it move fast or slow or to the left or right.

But without the wheels, the car can’t move very far. It is stuck.

A wheel is different when it is still or when it is spinning. Why? Because of the energy behind it.

When a wheel is moving, it does its job. But sometimes the wheel needs to be still so it can be fixed or repaired.

Wheels of Energy in Ourselves

It is the same with our bodies. Our bodies are mass. They’re solid. We have arms, we have legs, we have a torso. But without energy, for instance when we’re sleeping, the body doesn’t do much.

We use our energy when we are awake to do all the things we want to do.

When our body is filled with energy it can move in all kinds of ways.

Chakras are energy spots in the body that is moving around like a wheel.

How do you decide how to move your body? How do you decide whether you’re going to run or jump or sit at a desk and work?

We guide our energy with different tools, the same way the car has all the tools to guide the wheels. These tools are known as chakra centres in the body. We use our head, our heart, our stomach to guide us.

Lesson Plan on Wheels and Chakras

Here is a lesson plan that you can fill in depending on the age group that you are teaching to help you introduce the chakras to children.

For a Chakra warm up, you can ask the children to name things that have wheels.

Then you can do poses or movements that go with these things.

  • If children name a bicycle, the children can lie on their backs and pedal their legs as if they were riding a bicycle in the air.
  • If children name a car, they could come on to hands and knees as in tabletop pose and lift alternate arm and leg, pretending their car is moving forward.
  • If they name a skateboard then they can pretend to skateboard in warrior two pose.
  • They can jump in the air and do tricks on their skateboard, squatting down or coming into back bends as in dancer pose.
a group sits in a circle in yoga class making a wheel with their legs and arms pointing inwards and exploring the Chakras as wheels of energy through group yoga poses.
Exploring the Chakras by Creating Wheels of Energy in group yoga poses in Kids Yoga Classes

Chakra Lesson Plan Make Up a Story

For the body of your Chakra lesson plan, ask what happens when a wheel gets stuck.

  • Imagine a bicycle with a flat tire, do moves to pump the tire full of air.
  • Bow pose can be a spare tire to change the wheel on a bus.
  • Sun salutation and make up a silly story about pulling parts off a shelf and fixing a car. Kids love making up stories.

Spinning Your Wheels in the Chakra Lesson Plan

Have you ever heard someone say they are “spinning their wheels” as another way of saying they are thinking?

Even thinking about something is moving your energy.

Sometimes we think about something too much. For instance when we’re worrying. We need to adjust that thinking energy to be able to relax.

Sometimes not thinking enough can cause problems if you can’t focus on what you need to think about. You may need to spend more time thinking about how to organize the things we need or our routine for going to school or doing homework.

Relaxation and Reflection on Chakras for Children

For the relaxation part of the lesson plan, consider using soft music and invite the class to let their mind slow down during this time.

Let the wheels in their mind stop turning for a while as they relax.

For many youth, relaxation is difficult. So I also offer them the option to draw a picture, maybe something with wheels to connect to chakra theme, or how to take care of energy, or whatever they want to draw.

  • You could draw a bicycle, and equipment to check the air in the tires and the chain.
  • Or draw a skateboard with tools to check that the wheels are well lubricated.
  • Then add themselves and the things that help to balance their energy.

Download the Chakra Wheels Lesson Plan Template Here

download the PDF Here

Help Children Make Connections to Teach the Chakras

Connecting Chakras to Wheels is a very simple way to explain the Chakras to children. It helps children to understand a concept by connecting it to something they already know and helps you explore how wheels can be in balance and also unbalanced.

The same way our energy can be balanced and unbalanced.

Just like the Chakras.

Once you explain the concept of the Chakra, you can go onto focusing on each individual Chakra in your next classes.

Activity Pages from the Chakras for Children Manual from the Young Yoga Masters Kids Yoga Teacher Traiuning
Activity Pages from the Chakras for Children Manual in the Young Yoga Masters Certificate

Chakras for Children Certificate

Find out more about the Chakras for Children 4 Hour Certificate here.

Chakras for Children 4 Hour Certificate

Filed Under: Free Print and Play, Kids Yoga, Lesson Plans Tagged With: chakras, lesson plans, printables

A Mindful Mother’s Day with ideas for Children and Parents

With Mother’s Day nearing, here are 3 quick tools to make your day special.

1. Free Printable Mothers Day Kids Yoga Tool

It made me so very happy to see this post on Instagram of our Free Mother’s Day Acrostic Poem Printable.  You can get it here as well as a lesson plan for a Mother/Child yoga class!

Thanks to theHappyLotus for tagging me.  It is well worth it to follow theHappyLotus for kids yoga inspiration.  And while you are there, feel free to follow Young Yoga Masters on Instagram too!

[button text=”Get the Free Mother’s Day Printable Here” title=”Simple Button” url=”https://youngyogamasters.com/2015/05/08/free-mothers-day-yoga-printable-and-new-courses/” style=”light” align=”center” target=”_self”]

a free printable of a Mothers day acrostic poem with yoga poses beside each letter of the word Mother.

2. Mindfulness for Mothers – Techniques for When you Lose your Cool

Whether you have a mother or you have kids, somehow families can push your buttons at times!

This video will give you a head start on keeping your cool and help you NOT explode at a family get together.

 

3. Mindfulness for Children

A short video from our last teacher training weekend!  I’m so proud of our graduates for an amazing practicum class with the children.  I recommend a circle of kindness for Mother’s Day where you talk about how to be kind to others and how to be kind to yourself as well.  Kids know what to do!  Watch and see:

 

 

Whether you are celebrating with family, remembering a loved one, or creating your own way to nurture yourself,

Have a beautiful Mother’s Day.

Filed Under: Kids Yoga Tagged With: mindfulness, mothers day, printables

Free Mother’s Day Yoga Printable

Is it just me, or does it seem that the older we get the more we appreciate mom?

My mom is now in her 70’s and when I look at her I see her through all her ages, all her love and caring, all the discipline and lessons, all her mom-ness.  No one else is like her and no one ever will be. Being Mother is a sacred title, especially for a daughter or son.

With Mother’s Day coming up, it’s time to honour these ladies in some big or small way, and here are some ideas and a Free Printable that just may help.

Acrostic Poems and Yoga

mom acrostic poem for kids yoga class

Remember Acrostic Poems? You write a word or phrase for each letter of your theme word. Here’s an example for MOM.

The printable below has both yoga poses and a space for an Acrostic poem for Mother.  These poems are easy to do, perfect for relaxing during the last 10 minutes of an hour long kids yoga class. In fact you can do them anytime with any word you want to use as a theme. Here are a few examples: Mother, Father, Summer, Gratitude.

Lesson Plan for a Mother Child Yoga Class

You can use this printable for a your lesson plan in a few ways:

  • The first five yoga poses are a great warm up on their own,
  • Each pose can also become partner yoga, facing back to back, holding hands and hopping, just having fun coordinating the movement together.
  • Partners can use their imagination and put two poses together. Think: a tree under the moonlight or leapfrog hop over an elephant! Give yourselves time to be creative.
  • Or do your own lesson plan and let folks take the printable home to do.

Here’s what it looks like and you may find this PDF easier to print: Mothers Day Yoga Printable Young Yoga Masters.

Mother’s Day Yoga Worksheet

Mothers day yoga printable mother daughter yoga for children write an acrostic poem for mother and do the yoga poses on the handout inlcuding: half moon pose, tree pose, triangle pose, frog pose, elephant pose (standing forward bend), and relaxation

What Mother’s Day Yoga plans did you make? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

If you are considering getting your certification, check out the new training opportunities coming up.  We would love to meet you there for a fun and fulfilling training.

Wishing a Happy Mothers Day to all who are celebrating.

Filed Under: Free Print and Play, Kids Yoga, Lesson Plans, Resources Tagged With: lesson plans, mothers day, partner yoga, printables

Free Kids Yoga Alphabet Printables

As I write this, it’s the time of year when school is winding down.  Teens are going to prom.  Kids are getting lathered up with sunscreen.  Teachers are getting ready to say goodbye. Parents are getting ready for a busy summer.

At Young Yoga Masters we’re winding down our kids classes and have some great free printable Kids Yoga tools to give you today for your summer yoga.  I’ll explain a little more about my end of year routine in schools and daycare too.

The Kids Yoga Teacher Certification and Training is open for registration.  It’s a fun and effective summer activity!

Printable Kids Yoga: A Lesson Plan you Print for Children to Take Home

When I’m teaching  a kids yoga at a school or studio and there are only two or three classes left before the session ends, I introduce the students to the idea of doing a home yoga practice.  This is not only for school age children, but preschool kids as well. I do it by reviewing poses we’ve done that year, providing handouts to take home, and reminding the students of what they have accomplished and already know.

Alphabet Yoga Names

My first choice for handouts are the letters of a child’s name using the Frog Yoga Alphabet.  It is a personal touch for classes where I know each child.  Not only does it remind kids of the yoga poses on their take-away, I present it as a special award for completing the series of yoga.

I use the Alphabet throughout the series, taking turns doing yoga poses for the letters of each person’s name.  I print out each person’s name from the Frog Yoga Alphabet using the 1/4 page size in the PDF.  Then in class I start with the first child in the circle or first child who is sitting quietly and ready, say its Michael, then I check if other children also have a name that starts with M.  Depending on the age of the children, I may also ask who has an “M” anywhere in their name. Then everyone does “M,” Moon Pose (Crescent Moon).

We move onto the next person’s letter until we do everyone’s first letter.

At the end of the class I give each person their letter to colour as a wind down activity. I collect the letters at the door and use them in future classes till we reach the end of the series. At the final class the children get all their letters and can staple them together as they choose (book or banner are the most popular styles) and take them home.

a girl holding a banner made of letters of her name from the kids yoga alpahbet
Kids Get to Take Home their Yoga Name, I use the Printable Poses from the Frog Yoga Alphabet Teacher Training Online

When kids get to take home their letters, they have a visual reminder of the yoga poses they have just done and can do the poses on their own. The visual reminder reinforces what they have learned.


Important Business Tip for Your Kids Yoga Hand Outs

When I teach where I may not know who is coming, like in a community centre or school, then I give out a generic handout like the Summer Time Yoga or the Yoga Alphabet printable poster below.

One quick business tip before you grab them: If you are a teacher, print up some labels with info on your next class to stick on the back of your hand out, or get a rubber stamp to stamp your info on the back (or have the kids stamp them – they love to stamp things).  This reminds parents about your class info, camps, or the yoga birthday parties you offer.

Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with parents and let them know how to reach you for more yoga!

Now, on to the printable yoga for children resources.


Free Summer Time Yoga – Printable Colouring Page

four yoga poses for kids

Download the FREE Summer Time Yoga Printable Here


 Free Yoga Alphabet Printable

Free Yoga Alphabet Printable Download
This Yoga Alphabet is great for spelling Names!

 Download the Free Yoga Alphabet Printable Here
(we recommend you print on 11″ x 17″ paper)


Kids Yoga Teacher Training for the Frog Yoga Alphabet

You can get the full array of our Yoga Alphabet activities including the Yoga Cards, games, and activities and the French Yoga Alphabet as well in the Yoga Literacy Training.

Just click on the image below for full details.

picture of yoga alphabet cards included in the Yoga Literacy Kids Yoga Teacher Training 16 Hour Certificate
The Yoga Literacy Certificate counts towards the 96 Hour Yoga Alliance, Registered Children’s Yoga School Training.

Discover more activities for the Yoga Alphabet in the Yoga Literacy Teacher Training Here


Are you going to utilize these Yoga Printables?  How?

Share some comment love below.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Aruna

Lead Trainer, Young Yoga Masters

Filed Under: Free Print and Play, Kids Yoga, Lesson Plans, Resources Tagged With: free, lesson plans, printables, summer yoga, yoga alphabet, yoga for kids

Copyright © 2023 Young Yoga Masters